EXPECTATIONS of a trade dispute escalating between the world’s two largest economies and the spillover effects of the Turkish lira to emerging markets sent investors into safe-haven buying mode, causing yields on local government securities (GS) to go down last week.

JOLLIBEE FOODS CORP. (JFC) was one of the most actively traded stock in the local stock exchange last week with analysts pointing to the rebalancing of a global equity index that increased the stock’s weight, as well as expansion and solid sales.

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DAVAO CITY — This year’s Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE) will bring in farming technology from Israel, Taiwan, and New Zealand to help modernize and boost productivity in Mindanao and the rest of the country.

THE PHILIPPINE government is expected to ink up to 15 private sector agreements during President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s official visit to Israel this week, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Nathaniel G. Imperial said.

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte on Sunday said he will not fire Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol and the officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) despite shortages of low-cost rice stocks in some regions, saying that “(m)aybe the laws are weak or unenforceable; all we have to do is to improve on those laws, not necessarily fire people.”

AN ECONOMIC MANAGER said the draft federal constitution submitted by the Consultative Committee (ConCom) to Review the 1987 Constitution may “not yet (be) ripe,” as he proposed such changes as removing term limits and streamlining the federated regions.

THE NUMBER of Filipinos satisfied with the way democracy works under the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte has dropped to 78% as of March 2018 from 86% in Sept. 2016, but the average remains the highest among past leaders, a Social Weathers Survey (SWS) study reported.

MORE THAN P441 million worth of damages due to weeks of monsoon rains intensified by tropical depressions and storms were reported by the Ilocos Norte Provincial Resiliency Office. The total covers agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and infrastructure.

THE QUEZON City Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD) launched last Aug. 31 the trading of single-use PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles for reusable water containers, which will be undertaken every Friday at the QC Hall material recovery facility.

THE ORGANIZATION of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines Inc., (OSHDP) is now in talks with at least 15 local government units (LGUs) for partnerships on building low-cost housing projects.

DAVAO CITY Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has acknowledged that the city has the highest number of rape cases among major cities in the country, but stressed that the local government and partner agencies have been implementing an intervention program to address the problem.

THE Energy department and the Senate energy committee will draft a law covering the natural gas industry in preparation for a “critical” period next year when an integrated liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility should have started construction in preparation for the depletion of the country’s sole domestic source of the fossil fuel.

THE Philippines is considering a preferential trade agreement with South Korea to ease access for its banana exports, or may seek to include provisions for banana exports in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) free trade agreement.

THE Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said it found an improved policy environment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia since its last survey in 2014, particularly in terms of e-commerce access.

THE TNT KaTropa caught a break and stopped their losing skein on Sunday, defeating the Columbian Dyip, 118-114, in overtime in their battle of struggling teams in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

THE 18th Asian Games campaigns of the Philippine women’s volleyball and men’s basketball teams in Indonesia officially came to an end on Saturday and Friday, respectively, with both looking at them with some regrets, believing they could have done better, but nonetheless determined to make full use of the lessons they got moving forward.

KAYA FC-Iloilo and Davao Aguilas FC got their respective campaigns at the Copa Paulino Alcantara to a winning start, taking their tournament debuts at the weekend at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

ONE of the Filipino athletes who had a solid shot at a gold medal at the just-concluded 18th Asian Games in Indonesia, it is understandable the disappointment that boxer Rogen Ladon is feeling, more so because of the circumstances how things ended for him which he described as far from ideal.

LUOL DENG still wants to play. He has made that clear — from the moment the Lakers shut him down late in the 2016-17 season ostensibly to give young players more time on the court and up until they mutually agreed to part ways yesterday. And, yes, he still believes in his capacity to contribute meaningfully in another National Basketball Association uniform, and to the extent that he gave up a whopping 20% of his salary over the next two years just to be free of his contract.

THE CONSTITUTION drafted by the Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution (ConCom) had drawn negative reactions, which went into a high crescendo with regard to the sharing of national taxes between the central government and local governments in relation to their responsibilities and functions. Oddly, this was initiated by certain Cabinet secretaries themselves. This was followed with fanfare by the business community.

IN his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July, President Rodrigo Durterte urged Congress to work on his proposal to change the Constitution to enable the Philippines to shift from the current presidential to a federal form of government. Curiously as we observed in our brief, he did it less forcefully then what many had expected considering that federalism, along with the drug war and anti-corruption drive, had been an oft-repeated subject of his lengthy monologues. Today, a month after that speech, the drive for federalism seems to be waning.

Mang Pedro, temporary construction helper, married, father of three, could not even afford the P38-lunch sold on the sidewalk. He squatted in a corner, away from the other workers boisterously competing for the bigger slices and the more generous-looking rice portions of Aling Rosa’s food. He carefully opened his “baon” (packed lunch). It was plain boiled white rice — but twice the quantity of Aling Rosa’s serving. No viand. Over the rice, he squeezed the ketchup from the frayed foil packet that he picked up from a fast food outlet.